Conceived in 1997, the 500km China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will offer the shortest land route from China to the Middle East and Europe
2-MIN READ2-MINCarol Yangin BeijingPublished: 8:00am, 7 Sep 2026Fresh off Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Kyrgyzstan, project officials have announced the successful drilling of a key tunnel along the long-stalled China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway.This marks the first milestone for the flagship project under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, offering China a critical trade corridor bypassing Russia.
The 210-metre (690-foot) tunnel was the first drilled through in the Kyrgyz section since full-scale work began in June 2025, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday. Overall progress on the section had reached 17 per cent, it said.
The CKU Railway spans over 500km (310 miles), including about 305km in Kyrgyzstan alone. It runs from Kashgar in China’s western Xinjiang region through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan before terminating in Andijan, Uzbekistan.
It will also provide a vital trade gateway for southern Xinjiang, according to CCTV.
